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Not So Deep Thoughts: When $68,493 a day isn't enough

Just got done waxing my board (not a euphemism) after a morning session of surfing the Web and boy is there some rough water out there. First off, I can’t believe the Dodgers would insult Manny Ramirez with a one-year deal worth a measly $25 million. He and agent Scott Boras wanted no part of the offer and quickly told the Dodgers to rip up the offer and try again. Ramirez is seeking a multi-year deal, and at age 36 (37 in May), is hoping for a three or four-year deal to finish out his career and who can blame him.

OK Manny, we get it, you’re good, damn good. Your body of work speaks volumes. You’re one of the best offensive players and pure hitters the game has ever seen. You’re an RBI machine and one of the few power hitters who can carry a team on his back as you proved last year down the stretch with the Dodgers. But with people disappearing from my neighboring cubicles seemingly every day, I have a hard time backing anybody turning down a job, not to mention one that would pay you $68,493 every day. And that figure is based on Manny working 365 days a year. And as he demonstrated during his last month in Boston, Manny tends to phone it in from time to time during the season so I can only imagine how many days will be spent slacking in the offseason. If you can’t make ends meet on a $68,493 a DAY, I don’t know what to tell you other than maybe retirement is your best option.

Speaking of greedy athletes who are getting soured by the free agent process, did you hear Ben Sheets’ latest dilemma? After opting to go the free agent route instead of resigning with the Brewers, Sheets will now be without a team in 2009. Sheets was close to signing a two-year deal with Texas earlier this week for more than $12 million but the elbow injury he suffered last September hasn’t healed and he will apparently need season-ending surgery, prompting the Rangers to pull the plug on the deal.

What’s ironic about the whole situation is that Sheets often cited the media and fans always questioning his ability to stay healthy as one of the main reasons he wanted to test the free agent waters and leave Milwaukee in the first place. Now, he’s tested those waters, found little interest because of his history of injuries and has no job. If Sheets wasn’t so quick to bolt and score the big pay day, the Brewers would’ve likely urged him to get the elbow taken care of last year when it first occurred, and he would’ve been finishing up his rehab in preparation of being the team’s Opening Day starter once again. Instead, he tried to keep the injury a secret, rehab it on his own so teams wouldn’t be scared off and shop his services around the league and sign with the highest bidder. Well, I don’t wish season-ending injuries on any athlete but sometimes charma seems to step in and give a player exactly what he deserves. That’s exactly what happened with Sheets, so in this instance, justice was served.

On a brighter note, I saw Hank Aaron turned 75 on Thursday. Happy birthday Hammer, wish there were more players like you in today’s game. We’d all be better off and so would the game itself.